Making America more like Europe

[frosty]

Healthy skepticism of any government or ruling system is always ideal. If not then so called "enlightened" freethinking modern folk risk becoming sheep, subjects of an entity which takes things from them and tells them what to believe, think and do with their lives. Sounds familiar?  :)

I of course am generally left-wing on the political spectrum, but you can never give someone the levers of power without having an emergency shutoff valve somewhere else. Any system run by humans must always be kept in check by other humans, etc etc. Although I will take a secular system of institutions over a religious theocracy any day, even secular institutions can be abused as well.

[Colanth]

I know if i ever get seriously ill i won't be bankrupted paying for treatment.

That's why the US bankruptcy laws were changed - so many people declaring bankruptcy because of unbelievably huge medical bills.  Those who make the laws seem to think that having a way to escape paying the bills you knew you weren't going to be able to pay was intended only for the wealthy, and only for discretionary spending (like yachts and private jets).

[Eric1958]

When I lost my job last year I had the option of keeping my insurance through cobra. However to cover me, my wife and our 2 kids would have cost over 1600 a month. Way more than my unemployment check. In comparison our rent was 1200 a month.

[Triple Nine]

You answered you own question.

Religion, Nationalism, and Racism is all under the evil wing of Conservatism and preservation of useless traditions!

Solitary

Be fair, racism has a fair saturation in both parties and both wings.

 :-?  :-k Eh, I would actually take you up on that challenge. Maybe in 1993, yes, but 2013? Black people have become the most reliable demographic the party has. There was only one incident of Democratic racism that occurred in the last few years against McConnell's wife and that was condemned completely. Pretty much all minorities are in the Dems camp, and they are going to make sure it stays that way. Now there is racism in the left-wing yes, but its pretty rare. It's a smaller case of how there are non-progressives in the Democratic Party, but unless high profile they are just expected to shut up.

Back on topic, what annoys me a lot are people who go against there own interests. In all honesty, and I am not going to get in depth, but the stuff that can make America better really doesn't affect me. Whether this stuff happens or not will have a diminished affect on me personally. However, for things such as universal healthcare and cheaper college education it seems a lot of people who could benefit the MOST from this sort of stuff are against the policies that would help enact that. It sucks. I wish there was some university study on just the general situation on why the US is so stubborn when it comes to making policies to make are country better. I mean, most people don't even watch/read the news. That's a problem.

[Shiranu]

It's a smaller case of how there are non-progressives in the Democratic Party, but unless high profile they are just expected to shut up.

Er... the majority of the Democrat Party are fiscally conservative, socially moderate (leaning conservative)... progressive is pretty uncommon among Democratic politicians (if not voters).

[Triple Nine]

It's a smaller case of how there are non-progressives in the Democratic Party, but unless high profile they are just expected to shut up.

Er... the majority of the Democrat Party are fiscally conservative, socially moderate (leaning conservative)... progressive is pretty uncommon among Democratic politicians (if not voters).

How much do they want attention to that though. Look at the 2012 Democratic convention. Hell, the emails they fucking send me all the time. There may be large parts if not the majority of Dems being moderate, but that is  not the IMAGE they show to their base. As for voters, I would think pure unprecedented polarization would suggest more progressives than you would think.

[Plu]

It probably depends on what you measure them by. Compared to european parties, your democrats are conservatives and your republicans are ultra-extremist-right-wing conservative.

Hell, your republican party blows away what our country considers "right wing extremists" by a mile.

I wish there was some university study on just the general situation on why the US is so stubborn when it comes to making policies to make are country better. I mean, most people don't even watch/read the news. That's a problem.

And most of those that watch the "news" get it basically straight from the mouth of one of two available political parties, because it's US law that channels can present anything they want and call it "news" because it doesn't actually have to be true. Without free information and reliable news, you can't expect people to be well informed.

[Triple Nine]

It probably depends on what you measure them by. Compared to european parties, your democrats are conservatives and your republicans are ultra-extremist-right-wing conservative.

Hell, your republican party blows away what our country considers "right wing extremists" by a mile.

I wish there was some university study on just the general situation on why the US is so stubborn when it comes to making policies to make are country better. I mean, most people don't even watch/read the news. That's a problem.

And most of those that watch the "news" get it basically straight from the mouth of one of two available political parties, because it's US law that channels can present anything they want and call it "news" because it doesn't actually have to be true. Without free information and reliable news, you can't expect people to be well informed.

Not disputing the fact the democrat party as a whole aren't really liberal, but how is a progressive or even a politician in the CPC conservative compared to the European left wing exactly? As for the news, well, I feel that the news always has bias so how is Europe any different. Now I'll be nice and not make a blatant assumption that all the news isn't Russia Today.

[frosty]

Well it's a matter of perception based on your political stance, of course one side will accuse the other of certain bias and advantages and vice-versa. But of course to say that all Democrats are far-left hippies and to say all Republicans are far-right extremists is simply not true.

The only issue I have with Russia Today is how they cover the Syrian war, they always try to make the rebels look bad and they almost never criticize Assad or anything he does. Russia Today has admitted to receiving funding from Putin's regime and because of that they are basically slave puppets that have to puke out whatever they are told to put out. They will re-run things from Syrian State TV without questioning or analyzing it all so they can demonize people that are fighting back against a murderous regime.

[Colanth]

Back on topic, what annoys me a lot are people who go against there own interests. In all honesty, and I am not going to get in depth, but the stuff that can make America better really doesn't affect me. Whether this stuff happens or not will have a diminished affect on me personally. However, for things such as universal healthcare and cheaper college education it seems a lot of people who could benefit the MOST from this sort of stuff are against the policies that would help enact that. It sucks. I wish there was some university study on just the general situation on why the US is so stubborn when it comes to making policies to make are country better.

That's easy to understand.  The majority of US voters aren't well educated or well informed.  They're one-issue voters.  So if you promise to be anti-abortion in the Bible Belt, you get elected no matter what else you do.

Here in North Carolina, which "opted out of" the federal unemployment extension, a large majority of the unemployed are in favor of the current officeholders - because they're "good Christians" - read: anti-abortion.  Forget that the new tax code is anti-people.  As long as they're willing to keep women from killing their "unborn children", they'll keep being re-elected.

The founding fathers were right in not granting universal suffrage.

[frosty]

As a male, ever since I started thinking about politics I have always believed that it's not my business as to what a woman does with her body, especially in regards to her being pregnant with a child and then caring for the child afterwards. I don't have a uterus, I don't have their bodies, so it's not my place to point my finger like a self absorbed lunatic and start condemning women to hellfire because they make a choice with their OWN bodies. The big tough guys that attend pro-life rallies have no idea the pain some women have to go through in regards to the whole abortion topic.

The fact that many Americans still believe in condemning women to hellfire for having an abortion goes to show that America still has a long, long way to go. But to be fair there are people like that all over the western world.

[Colanth]

As a male, ever since I started thinking about politics I have always believed that it's not my business as to what a woman does with her body, especially in regards to her being pregnant with a child and then caring for the child afterwards.

It's also none of the business of a female who's not pregnant WITH THAT CHILD.  If they want to condemn her to hell (which, IMO, is a bit childish, at best), let them.  But trying to prevent her from obtaining a medical procedure that the SCOTUS says is her right to obtain is, and should be, illegal.  (Now how do we make passing legislation that makes a mockery of Roe v Wade illegal?)